Supreme Magus

Chapter 4113: Equal Partnership (Part 2)

With Arghon For and Indomitable Will at the lead of the Awakened army, the Black Throne suffered many humiliating defeats before he lost the war.

The god of gods fell less than two centuries after his rise to power and conquering but a fraction of Mogar. Even worse, by observing For’s masterpiece, the Black Throne realized the failings and short-sightedness of his own design.

’What does this mean?’ Jorl thought, suddenly engrossed in the mind link as much as the Black Throne. ’Why have I never heard of this For and how did he defeat the Black Throne? I need to know!’

Yet those memories were well protected, and all the Storm Griffon could see was the Black Throne’s escape. In the following centuries, the cursed tower had worked hard to improve his abilities.

The fusion of the artifact’s pseudo cores with Rehin’s mana core trapped him in a permanent near-death state, but it also turned the tower’s enchantments into the equivalent of spells kept at the ready.

The Black Throne was free to continue his research and replace outdated or poorly chosen enchantments with modern, more effective ones. Ealassor Rehin was still alive, after all.

He could learn, adapt, and change. The cursed tower was part of him, so it could do the same.

The Black Throne had suffered many a defeat throughout history, being captured more than once by a World Tree. The custodians of Mogar’s knowledge did not do it out of the goodness of their wooden hearts, but to study the Black Throne’s advancements and record them.

He was like a fish, periodically caught and released. The Black Throne didn’t dislike that routine, because as the World Tree studied him, the Black Throne studied the Yggdrasill. With every trip-

The connection ended abruptly, and Jorl found himself free from the restraints and still sitting on the ruins of Rehin’s body. The Storm Griffon wanted to learn more about his newfound ally.

He needed to know more, but like the rest of their relationship, the Black Throne dictated the terms.

"I’m sorry, kid, but I’m not sorry for my little prank." Jorl could now hear the moans of pain hidden beneath the rough, raspy voice of the almost-dead mage. "I needed to know who I’m dealing with. I needed to know if you can actually deliver on your promise.

"You have no idea how many incompetent fools manage to find me and ask my help to fulfill their idiotic dreams, promising me the world in return. Too bad that most of them lack the talent, the grit, and the willpower to achieve anything.

"They come to me hoping that I’ll do everything for them and run away at the first sign of trouble. I don’t waste my time with the likes of them. The moment they sit on the throne and I expose their lies, they die like the filthy dogs they are.

"Congratulations, kid. You are not like them. You have everything I look in a partner, and I’ll help you in your endeavor."

"Is Night payment enough, or do you require something more from me?" Jorl asked.

’I don’t care if Rehin raises the ante. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.’ He actually thought. ’I need to understand if I’m overplaying my hand or overpaying him without even knowing.’

"More?" The Black Throne laughed with honest amusement. "No, she’s more than enough. She’s perfect! Don’t you see my body?"

"Hard to miss it." Jorl’s beak twisted in disgust at the rank smell the rotting corpse emitted.

"You’ve seen my memories. My goal is to get back on my feet. Literally. If I can crack the enchantments Night uses to regenerate her hosts from scratch and use them on myself, I should be able to restore my body and survive the process."

"Survive?" Jorl echoed in disbelief.

"My body and the tower are one, child." The Black Throne replied. "I found countless ways to heal myself, but they all ended the same way. My body starts to heal, and my tower to crumble.

"I can’t go back to being a man without losing everything I built to this day and dying of old age. If I can fill the wounds with Night’s crystals, however, if I can put the pieces back, no matter how small they become, I’ll walk again.

"I’ll breathe again. I’ll eat again. I’ll see again! The gods only know how tired I am of deciphering rune strings and memorizing energy signatures! I want to see the sun, smell the flowers, eat an apple! I’ve been hungry for millennia, child. Thousands of millennia!"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Jorl asked. "Why have you revealed your weakness and goals to me?"

"Because I know yours, child." The Black Throne cackled. "One call to the Griffon clan and you are dead. I can tell them where your Dead King hides and what his plans are. I can destroy you just as easily as you can destroy me.

"As I said, I want a partner, not a servant. Now we are equal, child. Besides, why should you kill me? Without me, you have no way to restrain Narchat. If anything happens to me after we succeed, he’d be free and you dead."

"I see." Jorl nodded. "What’s our next move?"

"First, we-" The lights of the cursed tower turned bright red, and alarms blared. "What in the gods’ name is that?"

***

Outside the Black Throne, less than a minute earlier.

Mind links were quick, but Lith was decisive and arranged his own plans through a telepathic connection as well.

’We can’t wait for the Griffons. If the Upyr succeed and leave with the tower, by the time the Griffons arrive, they’ll find nothing, Meln will get what he wants, and I’ll look like an idiot.’ Lith said.

’And what do you hope to achieve?’ Phillard asked. ’The Upyrs are already inside. They have too much advantage over us.’

’I only need to draw Jorl out.’ Lith replied. ’If he’s here and I learn his energy signature, I can find him again. Also, if the tower has any consciousness, maybe I can persuade it to throw the Upyrs out.’

’I’m going to parlay alone. You guys keep your distance and prepare for the worst. We might be against a mage tower, so you’d better hold nothing back.’

’This is madness!’ Crank didn’t know Lith well and was still pissed off about what had happened with Salaark, but he respected the Tiamat. ’You can’t go there alone. What if it turns hostile? What if the Upyrs imprinted it?’

’Then I retreat, and you cover my escape.’ Lith replied. ’I can move at Dragonspeed and have many aces up my sleeves. I have the highest chances of survival. You guys focus on making sure they stay as high as a kite.’

’Your chances are on drugs?’ Phillard asked in bewilderment, drawing many contemptuous gazes on himself.

’I’m going in.’ Lith said, ignoring the Lindwurm. ’Weave your best spells and keep my retreat path clear.’

’At least take this. It will protect you.’ The Hyperion activated his Mana Body bloodline ability and shrouded Lith with its lesser version, Mana Flow.

Lith took a few deep breaths, shapeshifting into an Indech just long enough to release Vital Storm.